BubbleStream

Frank Chase Jr

Kleptomaniac

Synopsis

KLEPTOMANIAC is a journey into the annuals of biblical history concerning what the Bible teaches about tithing and giving. This book will take you on the proverbial archeological quest to uncover the true meaning of biblical words that deal with money. When confusion exists about what certain words mean in the Bible, such as tithe, tithing, tenth or ten percent, this book will examine the Hebrew and Greek language to bring to life what these words actually mean in context. This book will upend the common beliefs held by believers concerning giving and tithing based on the history of the original people of the Bible and how they related to money. From the very beginning to the end of the book, everything is supported by Scripture and research. You will know from the onset why the author, Dr. Frank Chase Jr., wrote the book and learn about his personal story of what happened as a result of embracing New Covenant giving principles from the New Testament. No book asks questions like this book. And some of those questions are: does the Bible talk about tithing? Did God change the tithe at some point in biblical history? Are first fruits money? Is the tithe food or money? Is the church the storehouse? Did Jesus, Paul and the Disciples tithe? Did the early church honor a money tithe system? Are Christians really cursed for not tithing ten percent of their income?

Author Biography

Frank Chase, Jr. was born in 1959. He is the son of Frank Chase and Romaine Berry. He grew up in Baltimore Md. and graduated from Walbrook High School in 1978. After high school, Frank spent four years in the United States Army and during that time became a follower of the Messiah. After completing his tour of duty, he attended Washington State University (WSU) and graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a minor in Sociology. Because Frank believes in education, he pursued religious degrees and graduated from North Carolina College of Theology with a Bachelor of Biblical Studies, a Master of Arts in Theology, and a Doctor of Theology. You can follow is blog at http://tithenomore.com and the ebook is available on now on Book Baby and the paperback June 1st at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/kleptomaniac. For signed copies go to the Author's website at http://www.fcpublishing.com/about_kleptomaniac

Author Insight

Five Reasons Why Tithing is Not Required

I don’t know why it is difficult to understand that ten percent of a person's paycheck cannot be a tithe. To help people understand why there is no New Testament tithe, I have given a short excerpt from my book to help clear up the confusion. Discovering that tithing was never monetary in the Bible was shocking. And when you tell church folk otherwise, the first response they give is how will the institutional church survive without tithes as if tithes are commanded from God. The only tithe God commanded is livestock and crops. People have always incorrectly defined tithing because religious powers changed the context of tithing’s origin and history so much so that believers think paying ten percent is obligatory. That is simply not the Bible facts but the traditions religious institutions wanting money. Sunday morning tithing is not in the Bible. Tithing to the local church is not in the Bible. If you don’t pay a monetary tithe, you are not robbing God. You are not cursed for not tithing because that is not in the Bible. The tithe is every tenth animal and a tenth part of crops. The Bible is clear about tithing in Duet 14:22: Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.

Book Excerpt

Kleptomaniac

There are numerous reasons for not believing that paying 10 percent is tithing. New Testament giving is not tithing for the following reasons:

1. The Old Testament tithe comes from what farmers and herders produced in an agrarian society. The contents comprised of grain, fruit, oil, wine, cattle, oxen, sheep, and goats. And God’s law made it clear what He required in Leviticus 27:30-33 and Numbers 18.

2. While the Old Testament Hebrew people were an agricultural theocracy, this book has proven that money existed in Israel but the people were not required to tithe money. When Paul wrote about money, gifts, or support, he never mentions tithes as the method of support for ministry or for himself. He argued for the right of support but then refused to use his right for support. Consequently, good Bible students should question why modern day pastors never discuss Paul’s decision to refuse support and work part-time while encouraging the Elders to follow his example.

3. Ten percent giving is not tithing because God never commuted the food tithe to money in the Scripture. To argue that times have changed from an agricultural economy to a monetary economy is not a valid justification to switch to money as a tithe. Frankly, the argument is stretching the truth to fit a private interpretation, and it won’t work because those in the Old Testament who worked jobs in the non-agrarian population did not tithe. Therefore, no believer has a command from God to tithe money when the tithe has always been food.

4. Giving 10 percent of your income and calling it a tithe is out of context and an inaccurate interpretation. Since the Old Testament priests did not tithe under the law, then all believers who are a part of the royal priesthood of Christ in the New Testament according to 1 Peter 2:5 and 9, don’t tithe either. Revelation 5:10 is where God defines who we are in his Kingdom, “And have made us kings and priests to our God and we shall reign on the earth” (NKJV). If we are priests, then why are we trying to tithe money to God out of context with the Scripture?

5. The Bible states that only the Levites and priests received the tithe as an inheritance instead of land in Canaan. The tithe served as a wage for the Levites according to Numbers 18:24. God never transferred the tithe inheritance from Levites to pastors. Moreover, pastors are not descendants of the Levitical tribe by bloodline and therefore are not permitted to receive tithes. In fact, the standard that Paul commands for every believer is: “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10, NKJV). This command applies to preachers and pastors and all title seekers in the church who desire to matriculate to full-time ministry to receive a full-time salary. Sorry folks, according to the Bible, the command is work. Pastors cannot take another tribe’s inheritance that was not willed to them by God and claim it as their own. However, according to Peter, Christians have a future inheritance waiting for them as stated in 1 Peter 1:3-4, “Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you” (NIV). As you can see, the Levites received a physical inheritance, which was the tithe; we as believers receive eternal life as our spiritual inheritance.